Run to Get The Prize https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." I Corinthians 9:24Sun, 11 Feb 2018 18:00:17 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngRun to Get The Prize https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com
Cupid 5K Race Recaphttps://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2018/02/11/cupid-5k-race-recap/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2018/02/11/cupid-5k-race-recap/#respondSun, 11 Feb 2018 17:55:39 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=669Read more Cupid 5K Race Recap]]>I found about this race when I started looking into the Northland Progress Series (I’m a sucker for series races…). I realized that I missed the first race, but I decided to partake in some of the other races that are a part of the series. Husband is still in Maryland, so I had to run this race solo.

Packet Pickup: Very quick and easy packet pickup at The Running Well Store on Barry Road in north Kansas City. Just grabbed my packet, some pins, and my long sleeve t-shirt. While I was there, I was able to get some body glide to replenish my supply. It was very convenient for me because I only live a few minutes away from the pickup location.

The Goods: You don’t find a lot of 5Ks that offer medals, but this one does! Also, the long sleeve (cotton blend) t-shirts were unique because runners were allowed to show off their status via color: red if you’re taken, white if you’re single and ready to mingle, and black if you’re single and uninterested. Of course, I opted for the red:

The medals were pretty cute too and I like the added perk of the medal, especially for a reasonably priced 5K (I only paid $28, but the highest price was only $30):

The Race: Not the most scenic race, but what the race lacks in beauty it makes up in minimal elevation changes. It is definitely a flat and fast course. If my health circumstances and the temperature were a little different, I probably could have PR’d this race. The temps ranged from 15-18 degrees F, with a wind chill bringing it down to a real feel of about 1-3 degrees F. I dressed heavily for the weather and braved the cold.

Mile 1: The first mile had the us take a big loop around the North Kansas City High School (where the race started). After finishing the loop, we headed down through a residential area. I finally started to thaw out around the 3/4 mile point. I alternated running and walking, slowing down to a walk when my HR hit 156. Average Pace: 11:44; Average HR: 141

Mile 2: This portion continued in the residential neighborhood, turning about half a mile in and heading back towards the high school / Macken Park. As we started to make the loop around Macken Park, we hit the 2 mile point. Kept the run/walk when my HR goes up method for this mile as well. The only bad part about this portion of the race was the relatively narrow pathway around the park, but the runners had spread out enough by that point that it didn’t become a problem. Average Pace: 12:11; Average HR: 151

Mile 3: This stretch finished the loop around Macken Park and headed back to the high school to the finish line. Easy peasy. Average Pace: 12:27; Average HR: 151

Mile 3.1: You can see the finish line, which is really motivating for the end of a race. My HR started to climb a little, but I figured my body could handle it and just pushed through to the finish. Average Pace: 11:16; Average HR: 162

This is what the elevation, my pace, and my HR looked like:

The race had your usual replenishment at the end- bananas, water, coffee, hot chocolate, and chunks of organic chocolate. I decided to just grab a banana and water and head back to my car to thaw.

]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2018/02/11/cupid-5k-race-recap/feed/0kristyjones85shirtmedal bibelevationpaceheart rateWinter and Spring Race Schedulehttps://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/winter-and-spring-race-schedule/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2018/02/06/winter-and-spring-race-schedule/#commentsTue, 06 Feb 2018 17:20:49 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=664Read more Winter and Spring Race Schedule]]>Over Christmas break, I decided to sign up for the Run the Year 2018 challenge. I figured that having a lofty goal (38.8 miles a week) and would motivate me to train hard for some Spring and Fall races. Unfortunately… I’m already falling behind, but there are some health-related reasons that have limited my running.

However, I DO have a few races lined up over the next few months. First up is the Cupid 5k in Kansas City on February 10th. It is part of the Progress Series. Unfortunately, I missed the first race so will not be a part of the series. I am still planning on running a few of the races. I plan on doing a run/walk/run for the races. It is the first time that I will be deliberately walking during a race, so I’m interested to see how how fast (slow?) I end up running the 5k. It is also supposed to snow this weekend during the race, so that should make things interesting.

The second race on the schedule is Liberty Hospital Half Marathon on March 3rd. Again, I plan to run/walk/run this race and Husband will be running with me. I’m hoping the weather will be a little more favorable than the Cupid 5k weather, but Kansas City is pretty unpredictable. The course is relatively flat compared to the Kansas City Half. The course cutoff only supports a 14:00/mile pace, so I will have to make sure to keep my run/walk paces low enough to finish in time. If not… I will be slightly embarrassed but still happy to complete another half marathon!

The third race (and last race that I have signed up for thus far) is the Shamrock and Run on March 11th. Husband will be running this race with me as well… more like run/walk/run, but it still counts! I will miss my beloved Under Armour Kelly St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5k, but I am confident this race will have the same energy. I mean, it’s a race celebrating St. Patrick’s Day! People will be running off their beer calories, right?

I’m looking into a few other races, but haven’t committed to anything yet. I really want to do a couple of fall races, but I don’t know where my body will be at medically during that time (more on that later… as I find out more).

Monday: Easy afternoon run. It was cold in the morning and my bed was too warm and comfy… Not a good excuse, but it was the truth. Got out in the afternoon and had a really enjoyable run (still a little cold…). 4.16 miles @ 147 avg HR.

Tuesday: PRT session with my study group. Focus of the day was running, so we conducted a sprint workout. Looked like this:

Friday: Easy 4.2ish miler. I needed to get out and get some fresh air… but BRRR it was cold. This was the first time I had to actually watch for ICE as I was running. Does this mean winter is finally coming to Kansas City?!

Saturday: Impromptu rest day. I had a TON of homework, reading, etc to catch up on so I skipped my planned long run.

Sunday: Another impromptu rest day. After Mass, I had an intense migraine, so I ended up just closing myself into a dark room until it passed… 6 hours later, I realized that it wasn’t going to go away and my run just wasn’t going to happen.

Weekly Total (according to Garmin): 18.69 miles

This week was another crappy one! I feel like I have balance with school / working out, but the past (and next!) few weeks are sort of like finals week- all the papers, test, practical exercises, etc are approaching the due date and it is a mad rush to get everything done!

I’m linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin this week. Help spread the love and see what others are up to by visiting their pages!

]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/weekly-rollup-6-12-november/feed/4kristyjones85f947e9cf-b1b0-416b-8b52-f59c5a4c60e7.jpgWeeklyWrap-e1473539104873Happy Veteran’s Dayhttps://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/happy-veterans-day/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/happy-veterans-day/#respondSat, 11 Nov 2017 16:10:06 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=628Just wanted to post a shout out to my fellow veterans. It’s not easy being away from your family, juggling demands of family and work, and wondering when your next deployment is going to be. I am proud to serve and thankful for the experiences that I have received through the Army.
]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/happy-veterans-day/feed/0kristyjones85Thinking Out Loud Thursdayhttps://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/thinking-out-loud-thursday-2/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/thinking-out-loud-thursday-2/#respondThu, 09 Nov 2017 12:38:10 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=580Read more Thinking Out Loud Thursday]]>I often listen to Catholic Stuff You Should Know while out jogging or on my drive to work. I am a relatively new podcast listener, so I’m trying to catch up on 6ish years of podcasts… If you’re a Catholic (or even if you’re not), I recommend checking out the podcast. Anyway… while running this week, I listed to the Forgiveness episode. In the podcast, Fr. Mike O’Loughlin reminds us that “Giving someone access to hurt us again is not forgiveness, it’s enabling. It’s literally a lack of love.” I really liked this whole podcast, but I really honed in on the hurting continuously, again and again = enabling. We need to be able to forgive those who hurt us but also need to be able to recognize that allowing people to continuously hurt us is actually NOT forgiving. We need to be conscious of our lack of love if we let people conduct themselves or exhibit the same hurtful behavior again and again.

Just a nice little reminder to forgive and to love…

On another note, this week has been full of reading and schoolwork, so my mind has been really focused on that. But I made some strides to eat a little healthier. No fast food or easy items to just grab and eat this week. I took the time to make a healthy lunch (grilled chicken, romaine, dressing with apple and mandarin) to bring to work and I made a large batch of acorn squash soup to eat for dinner. I think it is helping my running but time will tell…

I’m linking up with Running with Spoons to get a little glimpse of what’s on the blogging world’s mind… Head on over and see what everyone else is thinking about!

]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/thinking-out-loud-thursday-2/feed/0kristyjones85Thinking Out Loud ButtonKansas City Half Marathon Race Recaphttps://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/kansas-city-half-marathon-race-recap/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/kansas-city-half-marathon-race-recap/#respondWed, 08 Nov 2017 01:25:57 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=419Read more Kansas City Half Marathon Race Recap]]>Bottom line… This was my favorite road race of the year, even though it was the most difficult race and I didn’t get a PR.

Packet Pickup:

Free parking! The packet pickup was held down at Union Station. I was a little concerned that the parking was going to be packed and that I would actually end up paying for it. I was pleasantly surprised to see lots of parking. The expo wasn’t the biggest, but it was bustling and had everything the runners needed. It was smooth and easy picking up my packet (and my husband’s as well, since he’s in Maryland). The volunteers were so friendly! As I left, the gate to get out of the garage was wide open! No issues and truly FREE parking.

The Race:

Once again, free parking at the Crown Center area. Arrived around 06:00 and there was lots of parking available.

My only real complaint with the race organization was the lack of corrals. Everyone was shoved into the starting area and there wasn’t any structure to it. I saw pacing signs, so I tried to get close to the 2:10 pacer, but it was so jam packed that I couldn’t really get close to the group.

Starting line selfie with the husband. We ended up running the race together and I enjoyed our time. It was definitely a challenging course, but it was so great to be able to check out Kansas City via a race!

The elevation changes were pretty killer, but I have been training on rolling hills near my house so it was manageable. If you were used to just running flats, this was going to hurt.

Heart rate stayed consistently high throughout, but I didn’t really ever feel like I was dying. Took a GU around mile 6 and walked through most of the water stops (as you can see with my drop in HR).

My pacing wasn’t too bad. You can definitely match the slower paces with the hills in the elevation chart. But overall, I am pleased with my performance during this race, given the challenge.

The Goods:

The shirt is cute, but I don’t really care for the material. It is cotton (or a cotton blend), and I prefer to run in technical shirts. I like the shape of it and it could be good for a lazy weekend day, running errands or something.

The medal was pretty sweet. Nothing too flashy, but I did like it.

This really is a wonderful race and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a challenge!

The Details:

Location: Kansas City, MO

Date and Time: October 21, 2017 at 7am

Entry fee: Between $70 and $135, depending on date of registration

Post-race Food: Delicious food provided by Seasons 52 (I had a pulled pork sandwich and my husband had a chicken salad sandwich), with a beer (I believe it was boulevard…). They also offer bananas, apples and I think I saw some oranges.

]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/08/kansas-city-half-marathon-race-recap/feed/0kristyjones85DCFA0683-3600-48F5-8BF5-93504ECEB6ABIMG_4471IMG_4472IMG_447339243839-B522-4196-8EDF-ABAF31383F851082F93C-C170-4868-BF27-F01ED8492184Training Rollup for 10/30 – 11/5https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/training-rollup-for-1030-115/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/training-rollup-for-1030-115/#commentsMon, 06 Nov 2017 00:12:11 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=314Read more Training Rollup for 10/30 – 11/5]]>I’ve been struggling to get back into a routine the past few weeks. My husband has come to visit several times (which is GREAT), and it is a little disruptive to my normal day-to-day schedule. Also, I’m involved in a study with Kansas State University that involves adhering to a specifc physical fitness program (I can explain more later), so I have to conduct at least two group sessions a week. I try to work my running around the sessions and take adjust my running plan to account for the “run” workouts that are a part of the program. Here is how my week looked:

Monday: Rest Day. I was feeling a little sick and took the day off.

Tuesday: 20 min slow run (reading for class on the treadmill…) + chest/biceps/calves

Wednesday: Hill intervals on the treadmill. It was 30 degrees out… So I elected to do my PRT workouts on Thursday and Friday, when it would be a little warmer. Hill workout looked like this:

Still frustrated with the backslide that I’ve had, but walking when needed to get my HR training back on track.

Thursday: I was supposed to do Physical Readiness Training (PRT), but the rest of my group had other obligations. My workout ended up just being a run on the treadmill for 45 minutes (3.75mi) at 130-155 bpm HR.

Saturday: I signed up for a cheap ($25) half marathon on Fort Leavenworth. However, when I woke up on Saturday, my shins were a little sore and I knew that 13.1 miles would just hurt me… So I opted to skip and run an easy run instead. This has been kind of a rough week for me in regards to running. Ended up with 5.40 miles, 142 avg HR.

Sunday: Did an easy 4(.10) miler before church. The weather was chilly with a slight drizzle and reminded me of home (Washington).

Weekly Total (as per garmin): 20.60 miles

This wasn’t my greatest week… Although I’ve been in Kansas City and in school for over 4 months, I still am strugging to get into a good routine with running. I need to focus on getting strength training in as well. Goals for next week, eh?

I’m linking up with HoHo Runs and MissSippiPiddlin this week. Help spread the love and see what others are up to by visiting their pages!

]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/training-rollup-for-1030-115/feed/4kristyjones85IMG_4523EC4D77A5-27F6-4A08-86B1-12D263278E59WeeklyWrap-e1473539104873Race Recap Catchup: 2017 Army Ten Milerhttps://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/race-recap-catchup-2017-army-ten-miler/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/04/race-recap-catchup-2017-army-ten-miler/#respondSat, 04 Nov 2017 23:52:02 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=420Read more Race Recap Catchup: 2017 Army Ten Miler]]>Now that it has been about a month… Might want to post a review of this year’s ATM race. Bottom line- it wasn’t the most pleasant race. But it WAS a great weekend for me.

Columbus Day weekend is our annivarsary weekend, so we decided to fuel up for the race (and celebrate our anniversary) at the Charleston , where we held our reception last year. It is our favorite restaurant (and place) in the mid Atlantic region and we have yet to find a place that compares. The food, the staff, the ambiance… it is all just perfect. I limited myself to just one glass of champagne and let my husband try out some of their new cocktails (I mean… SOMEONE had to drive down to DC). I didn’t take pictures of every course, but here are a few of the most delicious (and seasonal) ones:

My husband had fois gras for one of his courses. Normally, the fois gras has a more sweet prepartion, with brioche and some sort of delicious fruit glaze or compote. But this time, the dish was savory, with black beans. I LOVED the taste of it.

However, I have to say that mine was even better… This is the scallop “BLT,” with thick cut bacon strips and a fresh heirloom tomatoe. It was incredible! Their scallops are always perfect (we even had them in our wedding menu), but this was my favorite preparation that Charleston has done to date. Now…back to the race.

Packet Pickup:

As with the last couple races, I haven’t been in Maryland/DC to pick up the packets- I left that to my husband. The packet pickup takes place at the Armory near the RFK Stadium. Husband reported that packet pickup was smooth… DC traffic (which never really ceases) was the only bad part of packet pickup.

The Goods:

I forgot the shirt at the Maryland condo, but the shirt was the same as usual- long sleeve technical shirt. And with previous races, you receive a challenge coin at the end (rather than a medal).

The Race:

Weather reports were not good for the race. Rain was expected and the humidy was really high. I made a call to just take it easy and enjoy the race, with an intent to keep my HR below 165 for the race. I didn’t want to hold my husband back (even on our anniversary), so we snapped a quick selfie and split after crossing the starting line.

(Clearly we were still kind of asleep….)

I kept my pace pretty slow and even with the weather, I genuinely enjoyed this race! I’m usually pushing so hard that I don’t take the time to actually look around and enjoy the monuments… But I was able to this time and it made the race so much more enjoyable.

As mentioned before, the weather was terrible for this race. It was in the 70s with extremely high humidity. It started to rain a little during the beginning of the race, but it quickly passed (and added to the already terrible humidity). There were times when it felt like I was suffocating, not because I was exerting myself, but because the humidity was so terrible. There were water points every couple miles, which helped… but I feel like the volunteers should have spread the tables and waters out to every mile once the weather started to turn. After around 10:15 or 10:20am, I overheard another runners saying that the course was downgraded and would be a “fun run” without official times for runner on the shortened course. There were several heat injuries, seemingly a lot more than usual…

But… other than the weather, I really enjoyed the race and will run it again next year.

We were staying at a hotel in Crystal City, so we made a mad dash (walk/run) back to the hotel to shower and check out… Just in time! It was a pretty great weekend.

Stuck. Not making progress. Producing the same results. These are the struggles that I’ve been going through the past few years. I train, run a race, average the same pace as the last race, start the cycle over again. I’ve been really frustrated over the past couple years with the inability to make any significant progress in my race times, my body composition and my overall health. I’m not necessarily UNHEALTHY but I’m definitely not where I would like to be. I want to have more muscle tone, run a sub 15-minute 2 mile, and be healthy enough to conceive. And honestly, the more I think about it… I think it is highly attributed to my diet.

Monday through Friday are my best nutritional days. I do meal preps on Sunday and eat healthy all throughout the week. But when the weekend comes around (or when my husband comes to visit), my diet goes to crap. I eat fast food (mainly pizza these days) and drink some alcohol from time to time, essentially destroying any progress that I made throughout the week. I have definitely seen that I cannot outrun a poor diet.

I want to focus on the next month or so on my diet. Eating clean, getting enough protein, and trying to avoid eating out. Fingers crossed that I might finally see some real progress!

I’m linking up with Running with Spoons to get a little glimpse of what’s on the blogging world’s mind… Head on over and see what everyone else is thinking about!

]]>https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/11/02/thinking-out-loud-thursday/feed/0kristyjones85dilbertThinking Out Loud ButtonRace Recap Catchup: Charles Street 12https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/10/30/race-recap-catchup-charles-street-12/
https://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/2017/10/30/race-recap-catchup-charles-street-12/#respondMon, 30 Oct 2017 01:22:03 +0000http://runtogettheprize.wordpress.com/?p=268Read more Race Recap Catchup: Charles Street 12]]>Onto my second belated race recap of the summer/fall season- the Charles Street 12. This was the third time that my husband and I participated in the race. It is the final race of the Baltimore B3 running series. There were some changes to this race that I wasn’t particularly fond of, but we can discuss that later.

Packet Pickup:

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend packet pickup since I’m now living in Missouri. My husband (who is still in Maryland) grabbed the packets for us from the local Charm City Run store. He said packet pickup was a breeze, which is usually the case for the Baltimore B3 races.

The Goods:

I really love the B3 premiums. They’re always great quality Under Armour items. This year I got an awesome hoodie.

The Race:

This was my third year participating in this race and it is generally one of my favorite Baltimore races. The organizers changed the course this year and I didn’t really pay attention to any of the emails… I thought that I was seasoned, so I just needed to park at Power Plant and take the bus to Towson… Well, that was a terrible idea. This year, the race ended at the Under Armour factory, rather than the Power Plant. I realized this once my husband and I parked at the garage closest to Power Plant. It was eerily empty and I quickly pulled up the email and realized that we were in the WRONG PART OF TOWN! Luckily, we had enough time to spare to be able to get over to Under Armour. One of the things I really don’t like about this area is the parking… There are limited spots at the new finish line.

The race itself slightly differed from the previous courses, rerouted to conclude at Under Armour rather than Power Plant in the inner harbor. The reroute didn’t make the course more difficult (in my opinion), and there are still a lot of downhill portions to the route.

I ended up doing pretty poorly at this race. My HR was really high even for the duration of the race, even when I tried to slow down to keep it down. This caused some mental issues because I wanted to keep my HR at a reasonable rate for this race.

I was not really impressed with the post-race party at the Under Armour HQs. The lines for post race food and beverages were really long, to the point that my husband and I ended up just skipping that part and going home. It just didn’t seem as well organized as the past races. Overall, it was still a pretty good race and I would recommend it.